Minnesota Wildflowers


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Hesperis matronalis (Dame's Rocket)

Plant Info
Also known as:
Genus:Hesperis
Family:Brassicaceae (Mustard)
Life cycle:biennial, short-lived perennial
Origin:Europe
Status:
  • Invasive - ERADICATE!
Habitat:part shade, shade; moist woods, meadows, ditches
Bloom season:May - July
Plant height:2 to 4 feet
USDA PLANTS database:Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:

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Detailed Information

Flower: 4-petals panicle raceme

[photo of flowers] Flowers are in branching clusters in the upper part of the plant. Individual flowers have 4 rounded petals, are ¾ to 1 inch across with 6 pale yellow stamens. The color ranges from white to pink to purple. One cluster may have up to 30 flowers, with many clusters on a single plant.

Leaves and stem: alternate simple

[photo of leaves] Leaves are up to 5 inches long and 1½ inch wide, tapering to a sharply pointed tip, usually rounded at the base, hairy, with fine teeth around the edges. Leaves near the base of the plant have short stems, but most have no leaf stem. Leaves become smaller as they ascend the stem. Attachment is alternate. The main stem is hairy.

Fruit:

[photo of fruit] Fruit is a thin pod about 4 inches long, containing a single row of seeds. The pod bulges slightly where the seeds are.

Notes:

Dame's Rocket may be confused for a wild phlox, but phlox all have 5-petaled flowers, not 4. Dame's Rocket is a prolific bloomer and a single plant produces a large quantity of seed. It can form massive colonies and crowd out native plants.

Where to buy native seed and plants

Help support this site by buying seeds & plants from these vendors. Tell them we sent you!

  • Out Back Nursery and Landscaping - Where Ecology and Horticulture Unite
  • Shooting Star Native Seeds - Native Prairie Grass and Wildflower Seeds
  • Prairie Restorations - Bringing people together with the land
  • Shop for native seeds and plants at PrairieMoon.com!

Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest

More photos

Photos taken at Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park, Shoreview, MN, June 2008

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: Jim H
on: 2009-06-11 19:44:35

We have this plant on our small farm 2 miles south of Villard, Minnesota in northeastern Pope County. It grows mainly at the edges of the woodlot. This URL shows a photo I made: http://www.flickr.com/photos/podehorn/3618404700/sizes/o/

Posted by: Dustin in Ramsey Mill Pond WMA
on: 2010-05-18 08:50:11

The plant was in full bloom along the walk in access to the Ceder River. There is a lot of it!

Posted by: Kathryn in Woodbury, MN
on: 2010-10-11 14:29:02

I see lots of dame's rocket in the spring along the walkway on Radio Drive, between Lake Road and Cobblestone/Ashford Road.

Posted by: Joyce in Denmark Township (by the Mississippi River)
on: 2011-05-30 20:10:11

We have a lot of these plants in our back yard where we planted a lot of wild flowers (on our mound-septic system). Do we need to remove them?

Posted by: K. Chayka
on: 2011-05-30 21:50:17

Joyce, I'd get rid of them if it were my yard. Dame's rocket is quite invasive

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